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Restored revision 1160555410 by Nemo bis: A series of edits that reduced the article from over 16 000 Bytes to under 8 000 Bytes violates the spirit, and letter of WP:3RR: "a series of consecutive edits that undoes or manually reverses other editors' actions—whether in whole or in part—counts as a revert." (a smidge less if Rlink2's edit isn't counted). Plus WP:NPOV, WP:OR, and WP:BLP issues. Reminder: This article is NOT "Libreboot.org and Rowe" or anything similar.
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'''Libreboot''' is a [[free software]] and hardware project based on [[coreboot]], aimed at replacing the proprietary [[BIOS]] [[firmware]] in most computers. Libreboot has been described as faster boot firmware for mostly older laptops. Computers with Libreboot have been marketed by several small companies selling refurbished hardware, mostly certified under the "Respects Your Freedom" certification program of the [[Free Software Foundation]]. {{Disputed inline|for=Lead needs updates to summarize body content|date=June 2023}}
'''Libreboot''' is a [[free software]] and hardware project based on [[coreboot]], aimed at replacing the proprietary [[BIOS]] [[firmware]] in most computers. Libreboot has been described as faster boot firmware for mostly older laptops. Computers with Libreboot have been marketed by several small companies selling refurbished hardware, mostly certified under the "Respects Your Freedom" certification program of the [[Free Software Foundation]]. {{Disputed inline|for=Lead needs updates to summarize body content|date=June 2023}}


⚫
== History ==
⚫
The Libreboot project was started in December 2013.<ref name=":0" /> Libreboot is a nonproprietary distribution of coreboot, which excludes nonfree [[binary blobs]]. Coreboot began as LinuxBIOS in 1999 at [[Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos National Labs]] (LANL), and was renamed "[[coreboot]]" in 2008.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Sun |first1=Jiming |title=Building coreboot with Intel FSP |date=2015 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |work=Embedded Firmware Solutions: Development Best Practices for the Internet of Things |pages=55–95 |editor-last=Sun |editor-first=Jiming |access-date=2023-05-27 |place=Berkeley, CA |publisher=Apress |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |isbn=978-1-4842-0070-4 |last2=Jones |first2=Marc |last3=Reinauer |first3=Stefan |last4=Zimmer |first4=Vincent |editor2-last=Jones |editor2-first=Marc |editor3-last=Reinauer |editor3-first=Stefan |editor4-last=Zimmer |editor4-first=Vincent}}</ref>


== Characteristics ==
⚫
Libreboot has been endorsed by the Free Software Foundation, and was an official part of the [[GNU]] Project since May 2016. In January 2017, Leah Rowe pulled Libreboot from the GNU project, after a controversy in which the Free Software Foundation allegedly fired a transgender employee for discriminatory reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2017-01-06 |title=GNU Officially Boots Libreboot |url=https://fossforce.com/2017/01/gnu-officially-boots-libreboot/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2016-09-16 |title=Libreboot Leaves GNU Claiming Gender Identity Discrimination by FSF |url=https://fossforce.com/2016/09/libreboot-leaves-gnu-claiming-gender-identity-discrimination-fsf/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US}}</ref>
⚫
As of 2018, supported hardware being sold with Libreboot by some vendors included the ThinkPad T400,<ref name=":0" /> X60<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=September 28, 2015 |title=Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203226/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=October 28, 2015 |title=Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203221/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref> and X200.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=March 6, 2017 |title=Flash ROMs with a Raspberry Pi |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/flash-roms-raspberry-pi |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref>


⚫
=== History ===
== Computers sold with Libreboot ==
⚫
The second laptop to receive the [[Free Software Foundation]]'s "Respects your freedom" certification, LibreBoot X200 by Gluglug, runs Libreboot. In 2015, Chris Hoffman of ''[[PC World]]'' called the computer, a refurbished 2008 [[ThinkPad]] X200, "outdated".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |date=February 5, 2015 |title=The Free Software Foundation loves this laptop, but you won't |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/431637/the-free-software-foundation-loves-this-laptop-but-you-wont.html |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=PCWorld |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |date=August 7, 2015 |title=Why Linux enthusiasts are arguing over Purism's sleek, idealistic Librem laptops |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/422917/why-linux-enthusiasts-are-arguing-over-purisms-sleek-idealistic-librem-laptops.html |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=PCWorld |language=en}}</ref>


==== Predecessors ====
The Taurinus X200 laptop, also based on the ThinkPad X200, uses Libreboot and is the first retail computer to disable the [[Intel Management Engine]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaughan-Nichols |first=Steven J. |date=September 30, 2015 |title=Taurinus X200: Now the most 'Free Software' laptop on the planet |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-new-free-software-laptop-arrives/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826133134/https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-new-free-software-laptop-arrives/ |archive-date=26 August 2021 |access-date=2021-09-06 |website=[[ZDNet]] |language=en}}</ref>
In 2005 the Free Software Foundation launched a "Campaign for Free BIOS".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-03-01 |title=FSF - Campaign for Free BIOS |url=https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/free-bios.html |access-date=2023-06-14 |archive-date=1 March 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050301104744/https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/free-bios.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> In 2010, the [[Free Software Foundation]] began work on a "Respects Your Freedom" computer hardware product certification that&nbsp;"encourages the creation and sale of hardware that will do as much as possible to respect your freedom and your privacy".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noyes |first=Katherine |date=October 11, 2012 |title=New FSF logo highlights hardware that 'Respects Your Freedom' |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/461621/new-fsf-logo-highlights-hardware-that-respects-your-freedom.html |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=PCWorld |language=en}}</ref>


⚫
Libreboot, which began around 2013, according to "Embedded Firmware Solutions", is based on 13-years older coreboot and predecessors. Coreboot began as LinuxBIOS in 1999 at [[Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos National Labs]] (LANL), and was renamed “[[coreboot]]” in 2008. By May 2014, coreboot had 10,207 commits made by 285 contributors. When Libreboot was established as a distribution of [[coreboot]] in 2013 it was said to be "nonproprietary software distribution".<ref>{{Citation |last1=Sun |first1=Jiming |title=Building coreboot with Intel FSP |date=2015 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |work=Embedded Firmware Solutions: Development Best Practices for the Internet of Things |pages=55–95 |editor-last=Sun |editor-first=Jiming |access-date=2023-05-27 |place=Berkeley, CA |publisher=Apress |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4 |isbn=978-1-4842-0070-4 |last2=Jones |first2=Marc |last3=Reinauer |first3=Stefan |last4=Zimmer |first4=Vincent |editor2-last=Jones |editor2-first=Marc |editor3-last=Reinauer |editor3-first=Stefan |editor4-last=Zimmer |editor4-first=Vincent}}</ref>
Technoethical is another company that sells refurbished ThinkPad 200's with Libreboot.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Byfield |first=Bruce |date=October 2017 |title=Free-licensed hardware, Respecting Your Freedom with Refurbished Devices |url=https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2017/203/Open-Hardware-Technoethical |website=Linux-Magazine.com}}</ref>
⚫
== Reception ==
In April 2014, Dmitri Popov of [[Linux Magazine]] reviewed a refurbished IBM Lenovo ThinkPad X60 laptop purchased from Gluglug (GNU/Linux Libre User Group), which had received Respects Your Freedom hardware certification from the Free Software Foundation. Popov said the included operating system was [[Trisquel]], describing it as "a perfect match for ThinkPad X60." Popov said [[gNewSense]] or [[Parabola GNU/Linux-libre|Parabola]] were also options. Popov said the received hardware was in "decent cosmetic condition, but the screen lid had several deep scratches and the bottom side had some sticky stuff that took some time to remove". Also, "Cleaning the fan vent with a blower released a tiny cloud of dust," requiring a "wipe with a wet cloth". Popov said the worst was "the laptop reeked of cigarette smoke" initially and a slight cigarette smell remained after a couple weeks of intense use. Popov described the boot sequence as "quick", but said removal of proprietary firmware caused hardware keys (volume, playback, and keys used with the Fn key) to not work, and the screen brightness could not be changed from 100 percent, calling it "quite a nuisance". Popov concluded, "Short battery life and the inability to adjust screen brightness make the laptop less appealing as a travel companion", old hardware means it is not good as a "primary machine", and it would be better as "a secondary machine for hacking, coding, and writing" if you remain near a power outlet.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Popov |first=Dmitri |date=April 2014 |title="An open source laptop from Gluglug, Purely Open Source" |work=[[Linux Magazine]] |url=https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2014/161/Gluglug-Laptop |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref>


In January 2015, the Free Software Foundation announced a second Libreboot laptop from Gluglug (a project of Minifree, Ltd) had received Respects Your Freedom certification.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot X200 laptop now FSF-certified to respect your freedom [LWN.net] |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/631697/ |access-date=2023-06-05 |website=lwn.net}}</ref> In February 2015, Chris Hoffman of [[PC World]] wrote,<blockquote>The Gluglug X60 was a refurbished ThinkPad X60, just as the LibreBoot X200 is a refurbished ThinkPad X200. The ThinkPad X60 is a laptop from 2006, even two years older than the 2008-vintage ThinkPad X200. There’s no way around it: This hardware is just plain dated.</blockquote>Hoffman also said Gluglug’s developers reverse-engineered the laptop’s low-level firmware, created free software firmware to replace it, and installed that onto the laptop, but concluded "Sadly, it’ll take more than a refurbished laptop from seven years ago with reverse-engineered firmware to change the industry."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |date=February 5, 2015 |title=The Free Software Foundation loves this laptop, but you won't |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/431637/the-free-software-foundation-loves-this-laptop-but-you-wont.html |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=PCWorld |language=en}}</ref>
In May 2018, Erik Bärwaldt of linux-magazine.com wrote:
<blockquote>Several small international companies have emerged around free BIOS implementations. These vendors fill the niche of providing computers for users who want a system that is truly all free. They can also offer the benefit of faster boot time with a trimmed down system, and they are in a unique position to avoid the planned obsolescence of the computer industry by maintaining support for older systems that are no longer relevant to the big hardware vendors.</blockquote>
⚫
Bärwaldt reviewed a Lenovo ThinkPad T400 notebook, purchased from Minifree and certified by the Free Software Foundation under the "Respects Your Freedom" program, with Trisquel and Libreboot preinstalled. Bärwaldt described Libreboot as having some proprietary [[binary blob]]s removed from coreboot, and said the more than eight years old laptop looked "almost as good as new". According to Bärwaldt, the Libreboot BIOS was "significantly" faster, and Trisquel boots "considerably" faster, compared with other systems on "similar hardware". Bärwaldt said there were weaknesses where proprietary blobs and firmware had not yet been replaced with free components.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bärwaldt |first=Erik |date=May 2018 |title=Liberated » Linux Magazine |url=http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203232/https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=[[Linux Magazine]] |language=en-US}}</ref>


⚫
In August 2015, Chris Hoffman of PC World said Gluglug laptops, the LibreBoot X200, unlike [[Purism (company)|Purism]]’s laptops, "is actually endorsed by the Free Software Foundation." Hoffman concluded, "If you really do want a completely free software experience, avoid Purism for the foreseeable future and stick with Gluglug’s laptops."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |date=August 7, 2015 |title=Why Linux enthusiasts are arguing over Purism's sleek, idealistic Librem laptops |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/422917/why-linux-enthusiasts-are-arguing-over-purisms-sleek-idealistic-librem-laptops.html |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=PCWorld |language=en}}</ref>
⚫
== Reception ==

⚫
According to Kyle Rankin writing for ''[[Linux Journal]]'' in 2015, Libreboot "greatly simplified and automated" the flashing process, "with a few caveats".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=September 28, 2015 |title=Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203226/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-i-setup |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Kyle |date=October 28, 2015 |title=Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203221/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/libreboot-x60-part-ii-installation |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref>
According to Kyle Rankin writing for [[Linux Journal|''Linux Journal'']] in 2015, Libreboot "greatly simplified and automated" the flashing process, "with a few caveats".<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

In September 2015, the Free Software Foundation announced a US company called Libiquity was the first US company to receive Respects Your Freedom certification. Libiquity also contributed to Libreboot, and led development of FSF-endorsed ProteanOS.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2015 |title=Taurinus X200 laptop now FSF-certified to respect your freedom [LWN.net] |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/658841/ |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=lwn.net}}</ref> In September 2015, Steven Vaughan-Nichols, writing for [[ZDNET]], said Libiquity's Taurinus X200 laptop with Libreboot was "only the second laptop to be given the RYF, and it's the first to be ME (Intel Management Engine) free". Vaughan-Nichols said it had all its original low-level firmware and operating system software replaced with the free-software boot system, Libreboot, so "No trace of ME has been left", and the Trisquel operating system.<blockquote>To do this, Libreboot developers reverse engineered Intel's firmware. They then created a small software utility to produce a free firmware image that conforms to Intel's specifications. Finally, to install their firmware on the device, they used a serial peripheral interface (SPI) flasher. This is then used to completely overwrite the proprietary firmware with Libreboot and GNU GRUB 2.</blockquote>Vaughan-Nichols quoted FSF's licensing and compliance manager, Joshua Gay, who said, "With a rise in manufacturing of treacherous computing chips and each successive version of Intel's Management Engine becoming more treacherous than the last... it is refreshing to have companies like Libiquity making strong commitments to computer user freedom." Libiquity founder Patrick McDermott said they were "honored to be the first US company" to receive RYF certification".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaughan-Nichols |first=Steven J. |date=September 30, 2015 |title=Taurinus X200: Now the most 'Free Software' laptop on the planet |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-new-free-software-laptop-arrives/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826133134/https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-new-free-software-laptop-arrives/ |archive-date=26 August 2021 |access-date=2021-09-06 |website=[[ZDNet]] |language=en}}</ref> In September 2016, The Libiquity Taurinus X200 with Free Software Foundation approval was one of 10 laptops recommended for "Linux lovers" by Nick Heath of TechRepublic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heath |first=Nick |date=2016-09-23 |title=Fed up with Windows 10? Check out these 10 laptops for Linux lovers |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/pictures/fed-up-with-windows-10-10-laptops-for-linux-lovers/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=TechRepublic |language=en-US}}</ref>

⚫
According to Christine Hall of FossForce, Libreboot project work by Leah Rowe had been endorsed by the Free Software Foundation, and been an official part of the GNU Project since May 2016. In January 2017, Libreboot work by Rowe officially separated from the GNU Project, after about 4 months of controversy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2017-01-06 |title=GNU Officially Boots Libreboot |url=https://fossforce.com/2017/01/gnu-officially-boots-libreboot/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2016-09-16 |title=Libreboot Leaves GNU Claiming Gender Identity Discrimination by FSF |url=https://fossforce.com/2016/09/libreboot-leaves-gnu-claiming-gender-identity-discrimination-fsf/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US}}</ref>

In October 2017, Bruce Byfield of Linux-Magazine described how the Free Software Foundation's Respects Your Freedom list "more than doubled" in June 2017 as Romanian company Technoethical (formerly Tehnoetic) received 16 certifications including the refurbished X200 tablet/laptop with Libreboot and Trisquel. Tiberiu Turbureanu founded Technoethical in 2013. According to Byfield, Turbureanu said their refurbished product was "the first commercially available laptop/tablet convertible with a free BIOS and free operating system."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Byfield |first=Bruce |date=October 2017 |title=Free-licensed hardware, Respecting Your Freedom with Refurbished Devices |url=https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2017/203/Open-Hardware-Technoethical |website=Linux-Magazine.com}}</ref>

⚫
In May 2018, Erik Bärwaldt of linux-magazine.com wrote,<blockquote>Several small international companies have emerged around free BIOS implementations. These vendors fill the niche of providing computers for users who want a system that is truly all free. They can also offer the benefit of faster boot time with a trimmed down system, and they are in a unique position to avoid the planned obsolescence of the computer industry by maintaining support for older systems that are no longer relevant to the big hardware vendors.</blockquote> Bärwaldt reviewed a Lenovo ThinkPad T400 notebook, purchased from Minifree and certified by the Free Software Foundation under the "Respects Your Freedom" program, with Trisquel and Libreboot preinstalled. Bärwaldt described Libreboot as having some proprietary [[binary blob]]s removed from coreboot, and said the more than eight years old laptop looked "almost as good as new". According to Bärwaldt, the Libreboot BIOS was "significantly" faster, and Trisquel boots "considerably" faster, compared with other systems on "similar hardware". Bärwaldt said there were weaknesses where proprietary blobs and firmware had not yet been replaced with free components.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bärwaldt |first=Erik |date=May 2018 |title=Liberated » Linux Magazine |url=http://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822203232/https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2018/210/Free-Firmware-with-Libreboot |archive-date=22 August 2021 |access-date=2021-08-22 |website=[[Linux Magazine]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In November 2021 ItsFoss said the GNU Project released the third release of Libreboot as a test release requiring "additional stabilization and testing". Libreboot was called "a completely free project fork" of CoreBoot, which also includes tools that users without special skills can use.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-27 |title=Libreboot 20211122 Released, a completely free Coreboot distribution - itsfoss.net |url=https://www.itsfoss.net/libreboot-20211122-released/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |language=en-US}}</ref> According to TUX MACHINES, releases of Libreboot in 2021 were the first in nearly 5 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot 20210522 released! {{!}} Tux Machines |url=http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/151505?quicktabs_bottomtabs=0 |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=www.tuxmachines.org}}</ref>

In March 2023, a new website, libreboot.at, and a [[GNU]]/[[Free Software Foundation|FSF]] supported project again using the Libreboot name was announced at [[LibrePlanet]] 2023. According to analysis presented by Denis Carikli, when the former Libreboot team began adding non-free software, and the differences could not be resolved, a new Libreboot effort with support of FSF, GNU, Technoethical and others, was started.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libreboot - Free Software Directory |url=https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Libreboot |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=directory.fsf.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Taking control over the means of production: Free software boot — GNU MediaGoblin |url=https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/taking-control-over-the-means-of-production-free-software-boot/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=media.libreplanet.org}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Alyssa Rosenzweig]]
* [[Free Software Foundation]]
* [[GNU Project|GNU]]
* [[Novena (computing platform)|Novena]]
* [[Richard Stallman]]



== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 10:54, 18 June 2023

Libreboot is a free software and hardware project based on coreboot, aimed at replacing the proprietary BIOS firmware in most computers. Libreboot has been described as faster boot firmware for mostly older laptops. Computers with Libreboot have been marketed by several small companies selling refurbished hardware, mostly certified under the "Respects Your Freedom" certification program of the Free Software Foundation. [disputed (for: Lead needs updates to summarize body content)  – discuss]


Characteristics

As of 2018, supported hardware being sold with Libreboot by some vendors included the ThinkPad T400,[1] X60[2][3] and X200.[4]

History

Predecessors

In 2005 the Free Software Foundation launched a "Campaign for Free BIOS".[5] In 2010, the Free Software Foundation began work on a "Respects Your Freedom" computer hardware product certification that "encourages the creation and sale of hardware that will do as much as possible to respect your freedom and your privacy".[6]

Libreboot, which began around 2013, according to "Embedded Firmware Solutions", is based on 13-years older coreboot and predecessors. Coreboot began as LinuxBIOS in 1999 at Los Alamos National Labs (LANL), and was renamed “coreboot” in 2008. By May 2014, coreboot had 10,207 commits made by 285 contributors. When Libreboot was established as a distribution of coreboot in 2013 it was said to be "nonproprietary software distribution".[7]

Reception

In April 2014, Dmitri Popov of Linux Magazine reviewed a refurbished IBM Lenovo ThinkPad X60 laptop purchased from Gluglug (GNU/Linux Libre User Group), which had received Respects Your Freedom hardware certification from the Free Software Foundation. Popov said the included operating system was Trisquel, describing it as "a perfect match for ThinkPad X60." Popov said gNewSense or Parabola were also options. Popov said the received hardware was in "decent cosmetic condition, but the screen lid had several deep scratches and the bottom side had some sticky stuff that took some time to remove". Also, "Cleaning the fan vent with a blower released a tiny cloud of dust," requiring a "wipe with a wet cloth". Popov said the worst was "the laptop reeked of cigarette smoke" initially and a slight cigarette smell remained after a couple weeks of intense use. Popov described the boot sequence as "quick", but said removal of proprietary firmware caused hardware keys (volume, playback, and keys used with the Fn key) to not work, and the screen brightness could not be changed from 100 percent, calling it "quite a nuisance". Popov concluded, "Short battery life and the inability to adjust screen brightness make the laptop less appealing as a travel companion", old hardware means it is not good as a "primary machine", and it would be better as "a secondary machine for hacking, coding, and writing" if you remain near a power outlet.[8]

In January 2015, the Free Software Foundation announced a second Libreboot laptop from Gluglug (a project of Minifree, Ltd) had received Respects Your Freedom certification.[9] In February 2015, Chris Hoffman of PC World wrote,

The Gluglug X60 was a refurbished ThinkPad X60, just as the LibreBoot X200 is a refurbished ThinkPad X200. The ThinkPad X60 is a laptop from 2006, even two years older than the 2008-vintage ThinkPad X200. There’s no way around it: This hardware is just plain dated.

Hoffman also said Gluglug’s developers reverse-engineered the laptop’s low-level firmware, created free software firmware to replace it, and installed that onto the laptop, but concluded "Sadly, it’ll take more than a refurbished laptop from seven years ago with reverse-engineered firmware to change the industry."[10]

In August 2015, Chris Hoffman of PC World said Gluglug laptops, the LibreBoot X200, unlike Purism’s laptops, "is actually endorsed by the Free Software Foundation." Hoffman concluded, "If you really do want a completely free software experience, avoid Purism for the foreseeable future and stick with Gluglug’s laptops."[11]

According to Kyle Rankin writing for Linux Journal in 2015, Libreboot "greatly simplified and automated" the flashing process, "with a few caveats".[2][3]

In September 2015, the Free Software Foundation announced a US company called Libiquity was the first US company to receive Respects Your Freedom certification. Libiquity also contributed to Libreboot, and led development of FSF-endorsed ProteanOS.[12] In September 2015, Steven Vaughan-Nichols, writing for ZDNET, said Libiquity's Taurinus X200 laptop with Libreboot was "only the second laptop to be given the RYF, and it's the first to be ME (Intel Management Engine) free". Vaughan-Nichols said it had all its original low-level firmware and operating system software replaced with the free-software boot system, Libreboot, so "No trace of ME has been left", and the Trisquel operating system.

To do this, Libreboot developers reverse engineered Intel's firmware. They then created a small software utility to produce a free firmware image that conforms to Intel's specifications. Finally, to install their firmware on the device, they used a serial peripheral interface (SPI) flasher. This is then used to completely overwrite the proprietary firmware with Libreboot and GNU GRUB 2.

Vaughan-Nichols quoted FSF's licensing and compliance manager, Joshua Gay, who said, "With a rise in manufacturing of treacherous computing chips and each successive version of Intel's Management Engine becoming more treacherous than the last... it is refreshing to have companies like Libiquity making strong commitments to computer user freedom." Libiquity founder Patrick McDermott said they were "honored to be the first US company" to receive RYF certification".[13] In September 2016, The Libiquity Taurinus X200 with Free Software Foundation approval was one of 10 laptops recommended for "Linux lovers" by Nick Heath of TechRepublic.[14]

According to Christine Hall of FossForce, Libreboot project work by Leah Rowe had been endorsed by the Free Software Foundation, and been an official part of the GNU Project since May 2016. In January 2017, Libreboot work by Rowe officially separated from the GNU Project, after about 4 months of controversy.[15][16]

In October 2017, Bruce Byfield of Linux-Magazine described how the Free Software Foundation's Respects Your Freedom list "more than doubled" in June 2017 as Romanian company Technoethical (formerly Tehnoetic) received 16 certifications including the refurbished X200 tablet/laptop with Libreboot and Trisquel. Tiberiu Turbureanu founded Technoethical in 2013. According to Byfield, Turbureanu said their refurbished product was "the first commercially available laptop/tablet convertible with a free BIOS and free operating system."[17]

In May 2018, Erik Bärwaldt of linux-magazine.com wrote,

Several small international companies have emerged around free BIOS implementations. These vendors fill the niche of providing computers for users who want a system that is truly all free. They can also offer the benefit of faster boot time with a trimmed down system, and they are in a unique position to avoid the planned obsolescence of the computer industry by maintaining support for older systems that are no longer relevant to the big hardware vendors.

Bärwaldt reviewed a Lenovo ThinkPad T400 notebook, purchased from Minifree and certified by the Free Software Foundation under the "Respects Your Freedom" program, with Trisquel and Libreboot preinstalled. Bärwaldt described Libreboot as having some proprietary binary blobs removed from coreboot, and said the more than eight years old laptop looked "almost as good as new". According to Bärwaldt, the Libreboot BIOS was "significantly" faster, and Trisquel boots "considerably" faster, compared with other systems on "similar hardware". Bärwaldt said there were weaknesses where proprietary blobs and firmware had not yet been replaced with free components.[1]

In November 2021 ItsFoss said the GNU Project released the third release of Libreboot as a test release requiring "additional stabilization and testing". Libreboot was called "a completely free project fork" of CoreBoot, which also includes tools that users without special skills can use.[18] According to TUX MACHINES, releases of Libreboot in 2021 were the first in nearly 5 years.[19]

In March 2023, a new website, libreboot.at, and a GNU/FSF supported project again using the Libreboot name was announced at LibrePlanet 2023. According to analysis presented by Denis Carikli, when the former Libreboot team began adding non-free software, and the differences could not be resolved, a new Libreboot effort with support of FSF, GNU, Technoethical and others, was started.[20][21]

See also


References

  1. ^ a b Bärwaldt, Erik (May 2018). "Liberated » Linux Magazine". Linux Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b Rankin, Kyle (28 September 2015). "Libreboot on an X60, Part I: the Setup". Linux Journal. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b Rankin, Kyle (28 October 2015). "Libreboot on an x60, Part II: the Installation". Linux Journal. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  4. ^ Rankin, Kyle (6 March 2017). "Flash ROMs with a Raspberry Pi". Linux Journal. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. ^ "FSF - Campaign for Free BIOS". 1 March 2005. Archived from the original on 1 March 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ Noyes, Katherine (11 October 2012). "New FSF logo highlights hardware that 'Respects Your Freedom'". PCWorld. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  7. ^ Sun, Jiming; Jones, Marc; Reinauer, Stefan; Zimmer, Vincent (2015), Sun, Jiming; Jones, Marc; Reinauer, Stefan; Zimmer, Vincent (eds.), "Building coreboot with Intel FSP", Embedded Firmware Solutions: Development Best Practices for the Internet of Things, Berkeley, CA: Apress, pp. 55–95, doi:10.1007/978-1-4842-0070-4_4, ISBN 978-1-4842-0070-4, retrieved 27 May 2023
  8. ^ Popov, Dmitri (April 2014). ""An open source laptop from Gluglug, Purely Open Source"". Linux Magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Libreboot X200 laptop now FSF-certified to respect your freedom [LWN.net]". lwn.net. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  10. ^ Hoffman, Chris (5 February 2015). "The Free Software Foundation loves this laptop, but you won't". PCWorld. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  11. ^ Hoffman, Chris (7 August 2015). "Why Linux enthusiasts are arguing over Purism's sleek, idealistic Librem laptops". PCWorld. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Taurinus X200 laptop now FSF-certified to respect your freedom [LWN.net]". lwn.net. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  13. ^ Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. (30 September 2015). "Taurinus X200: Now the most 'Free Software' laptop on the planet". ZDNet. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  14. ^ Heath, Nick (23 September 2016). "Fed up with Windows 10? Check out these 10 laptops for Linux lovers". TechRepublic. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  15. ^ Hall, Christine (6 January 2017). "GNU Officially Boots Libreboot". FOSS Force. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  16. ^ Hall, Christine (16 September 2016). "Libreboot Leaves GNU Claiming Gender Identity Discrimination by FSF". FOSS Force. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  17. ^ Byfield, Bruce (October 2017). "Free-licensed hardware, Respecting Your Freedom with Refurbished Devices". Linux-Magazine.com.
  18. ^ "Libreboot 20211122 Released, a completely free Coreboot distribution - itsfoss.net". 27 November 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Libreboot 20210522 released! | Tux Machines". www.tuxmachines.org. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Libreboot - Free Software Directory". directory.fsf.org. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Taking control over the means of production: Free software boot — GNU MediaGoblin". media.libreplanet.org. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
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